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Handyman estimate template
The full template below — scope lines, the exclusions that stop free work, terms and a signature block. Copy it, print it, or take the Word version and put your logo on it.
Handyman estimate
[Your company name, address, licence and contact]
Estimate no. ________ Date ________ Valid until ________
Prepared for
Job address
Scope of work
- Attendance at the address listed, within the arrival window agreed
- The tasks listed below, performed in the order listed until the booked time is used
- Supply of common fasteners, sealant and consumables
- Materials purchased for the job, billed at cost plus the markup stated
- Tidy of the immediate work area and removal of packaging and offcuts
- Notes on anything found that needs a licensed trade, with no obligation to proceed
Price
Subtotal ________ Tax ________ Total ________
Deposit due on acceptance ________ Balance due ________
Not included in this price
- Work requiring an electrical, gas or plumbing licence beyond minor fixture replacement
- Tasks added on the day beyond the booked hours; billed at the hourly rate or rebooked
- Materials not listed above, and special-order items requiring a second trip
- Warranty on owner-supplied parts and on repairs to equipment past its service life
- Working at heights beyond the ladder access stated, and roof work
- Removal of hazardous material, and disposal of appliances, tires, or renovation debris
- Repair of pre-existing damage discovered while performing the listed work
Terms
- This estimate is valid until the date shown above; pricing after that date is subject to material cost at the time of order.
- Work outside the scope above proceeds only on a written change order signed by both parties, priced before the work begins.
- Payment is due on the terms shown; overdue accounts carry interest at ____% per month.
- Workmanship is warranted for ____ months from completion. Manufacturer warranties on supplied materials pass to the owner.
- Access to the work area, power and water are provided by the owner during working hours.
Acceptance
The owner accepts the scope, price and terms above.
Signature Printed name Date
How to price the job before you fill this in
Handyman work prices per visit with a stated minimum, then hourly, with materials at cost plus a stated markup. Whatever unit you use, the price underneath it has to cover three things: the loaded cost of the hours, the share of overhead those hours consume, and the margin you intend to keep. Miss any one and the job looks profitable right up until year-end.
Handyman work is priced by the visit, not by the task, because the drive and the setup are the same whether the job takes twenty minutes or two hours. Set a minimum charge, book in blocks, and list the tasks in priority order so when the time runs out the customer already agreed what got done first.
If you've never run the numbers, do it in this order: loaded labour rate, overhead per billable hour, then the rate you should charge. It takes about fifteen minutes once.
The parts of this template that do the most work
The exclusions. Every line in that list exists because someone did that work for free. Deleting a line because it seems negative is how you end up back there — read the exclusions guide before you cut any of them.
The change order clause. Priced and signed before the work happens, every time. Verbal agreements on site are collected at the end of the job, if at all.
The expiry date. Material pricing moves and your quote shouldn't be open forever. Fourteen to thirty days is normal.
The signature block. An estimate that gets signed is a contract. An estimate that only informs is a price the customer takes to somebody else.
Send it the same day
Speed closes handyman work more reliably than being the cheapest. The homeowner who has just watched you walk their job is more interested in you than they will be tomorrow, and considerably more than in three days. Fill in the scope on site, price it that evening, send it before you go to bed.
Questions contractors actually ask
What should a handyman minimum charge be?
At least one hour plus your travel, and usually more like two. If your day fits four stops, every stop has to carry a quarter of the day's overhead regardless of how small the task turns out to be.
How do I quote a list of unrelated small jobs?
Quote the block of time, list the tasks in the order they'll be done, and state that anything remaining when the time is used gets rebooked. It sets expectations before you're standing in the hallway being asked about one more thing.
Should I charge for the estimate visit?
For a handyman, the visit largely is the job. Most charge a service call fee and credit it against the work if it proceeds that day — say so when they book, not when you arrive.
Can I use this template commercially?
Yes. Use it on your own jobs, put your company name and logo on it, and reuse it as often as you like. Reselling the template itself as a product is not permitted.
Is this a legally binding contract?
Once both parties sign, an estimate with scope, price and terms generally forms a contract — but contract law varies by province and state, and this is general information rather than legal advice. For high-value work, have a lawyer review your standard terms once. It's a one-time cost that covers every job afterwards.
The Word version, plus nine other trades
The Vault includes this template and nine more as editable Word files, the pricing calculator that produces the number you put in it, and pre-written terms for each trade.
Pricing calculator, 10 trade estimate templates in Word, pre-written exclusions and terms, and the 10-minute pricing guide. One payment, no subscription, 30-day guarantee.
Other trades
All ten estimate templates, from roofing to handyman.